1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to optical fiber communication networks and, more specifically, to the selection of an appropriate optical fiber type for a communication network.
2. Technical Background
Designers of optical fiber communication networks are required to select an appropriate optical fiber type for a particular communication network. Frequently, a decision on what optical fiber type is appropriate has required multiple discussions with optical fiber manufacturers. Thus, designers have typically contacted various manufacturers of optical fibers and, after receiving and reviewing the specifications for available optical fibers, have decided upon an appropriate optical fiber type for the communication network. This process frequently requires discussions on the communication network requirements with a customer representative of the optical fiber manufacturer, which are generally time consuming and expensive for both the customer and the optical fiber manufacturer. Further, the designers of a communication network have typically had to understand and access different technical parameters on various optical fiber types to determine an appropriate fiber type that adequately functions with other optical devices (e.g., optical amplifiers) specified for the network.
As mentioned above, a representative of an optical fiber manufacturer has typically supplied various information such that the designers, in conjunction with the customer representative, could determine an appropriate optical fiber type for a communication network. Frequently, there are undesirable delays between a customer requesting information and receiving the information from a vendor. Because various optical fiber types have different optical properties, e.g., dispersion and attenuation characteristics, it is desirable for the designers to have ready access to the optical specifications for various available optical fiber types under consideration, when designing a communication network.
Therefore, there exists a need for an electronically accessible system that automatically recommends an optical fiber type for a communication network, based upon at least one technical parameter provided by a designer. It would also be desirable to provide customer/designer electronically accessible dispersion and attenuation information for optical fiber types available from a vendor.
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to an optical fiber selection system that automatically selects an appropriate optical fiber type for a proposed communication network, based on input from a user. In one embodiment, the system includes a user computer system that is in communication with a vendor computer system. The vendor computer system executes code and performs a number of steps. Initially, the vendor computer system receives at least one technical parameter associated with the proposed communication network from the user, via the computer system. Next, the vendor computer system automatically selects an optical fiber type for the communication network, based on the least one technical parameter. Finally, the vendor computer system provides the selected optical fiber type to the user, via the user computer system.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described in the description which follows together with the claims and appended drawings.
It is to be understood that the foregoing description is exemplary of the invention only and is intended to provide an overview for the understanding of the nature and character of the invention as it is defined by the claims. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated and constitute part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various features and embodiments of the invention which, together with their description serve to explain the principals and operation of the invention.